The best books of 2023

This list is part of the best books of 2023.

Join 1,707 readers and share your 3 favorite reads of the year.

My favorite read in 2023

Book cover of Swamp Story

Marc Renson Why did I love this book?

I love South Florida. The author is witty, and this book is based in the Everglades. The characters are fun, larger than life, and hold true to native Floridians, as the characters do dumb things. 

It has nostalgic references as well as today’s social media influences. Readers will laugh at this book and ask themselves, can people really be that stupid?

As the author writes, this is Florida, after all! It’s just a fun book. 

By Dave Barry,

Why should I read it?

6 authors picked Swamp Story as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Pulitzer Prize–winning New York Times bestselling author and actual Florida Man Dave Barry returns with a Florida caper full of oddballs and more twists and turns than a snake slithering away from a gator.

Jesse Braddock is trapped in a tiny cabin deep in the Everglades with her infant daughter and her ex-boyfriend, a wannabe reality TV star who turned out to be a lot prettier on the outside than on the inside. Broke and desperate for a way out, Jesse stumbles across a long-lost treasure, which could solve all her problems—if she can figure out how to keep it.…


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My 2nd favorite read in 2023

Book cover of The Accidental Medium

Marc Renson Why did I love this book?

I love fictional spiritual books about mediums and tarot cards, and this book has it all.

The lead character is an out-of-work actress who takes a second job at a metaphysical shop, only to find out she is more psychic than the other employees who work there.

It's fun, exciting, and has lots of spooky twists. 

By Tracy Whitwell,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Accidental Medium as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The Accidental Medium is the first book in a hilarious series from Tracy Whitwell featuring Tanz, the accidental medium who, with the help of the dead, is about to become an unwilling crime-solver.

Tanz is a wine-loving, straight-talking, once-successful TV actress from Gateshead, whose career has shrivelled like an antique walnut. She is still grieving for her friend Frank, who died in a car crash three years ago, and she has to find a normal job in London to fund her cocktail habit. When she starts work in a 'new age' shop, Tanz suddenly discovers that the voices she's hearing…


My 3rd favorite read in 2023

Book cover of Jay's Gay Agenda

Marc Renson Why did I love this book?

Jay is gay and has no gay friends until his family moves from Oregon to Seattle, and he begins his gay agenda of all the firsts he’s gonna do. 

This book has fun, sexy characters with loud personalities. It’s a coming-of-age story filled with lust, romance, and true friendships. 

By Jason June,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Jay's Gay Agenda as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 14, 15, 16, and 17.

What is this book about?

From New York Times bestselling author Jason June comes a moving and hilarious sex-positive teen rom-com about the complexities of first loves, first hookups, and first heartbreaks-and how to stay true to yourself while embracing what you never saw coming, that's perfect for fans of Sandhya Menon and Becky Albertalli.

There's one thing Jay Collier knows for sure-he's a statistical anomaly as the only out gay kid in his small rural Washington town. While all his friends can't stop talking about their heterosexual hookups and relationships, Jay can only dream of his own firsts, compiling a romance to-do list of…


Don‘t forget about my book 😀

Is The Coffee Fresh? Confessions of Drama, Dysfunction and Daily Life at a Downtown Coffeehouse

By Marc Renson,

Book cover of Is The Coffee Fresh? Confessions of Drama, Dysfunction and Daily Life at a Downtown Coffeehouse

What is my book about?

A framed picture has disappeared from the men's room wall... the freezer is suddenly and inexplicably on the fritz... a man at the counter can't comprehend the cool cantaloupe soup. The health inspector just walked through the door. Don't panic; it's another day at Ambition Coffee House & Eatery.

Business co-owner and author Marc Renson takes you on an entertaining, outrageous journey of madness and mayhem experienced in the daily operation of Ambition, one of downtown Schenectady, New York's most popular restaurants.

Read about celebrities who eat there and meet "the regulars" who keep the staff hopping with their cosmic questions: Is the sandwich especially good? Does your cream of tomato soup have milk in it? Will the Cajun spices bother me?

Book cover of Swamp Story
Book cover of The Accidental Medium
Book cover of Jay's Gay Agenda

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